1967-1970
1967–1970 (widely known as "The Blue Album") is a compilation of songs by the English rock band The Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. It was released with 1962–1966 ("The Red Album"), in 1973. 1967–1970 made number 1 on the American Billboard chart and number 2 on the British Album Chart. This album was re-released in September 1993 on compact disc, charting at number 4 in the United Kingdom. The album was compiled by Beatles manager Allen Klein.5 Songs performed by the Beatles as solo artists were also considered for inclusion, but like the cover songs on 1962–1966, limited space resulted in this idea having to be abandoned. Along with its 1962–1966 counterpart, it compiles every single A-side released by the band in the UK. As with 1962–1966, this compilation was produced by Apple/EMI at least partially in response to a bootleg collection titled Alpha Omega, which had been sold on television the previous year. Print advertising for the two records made a point of declaring them "the only authorized collection of the Beatles."6 Contents 1 Album covers 2 International versions 3 Release variations 4 Track listing 5 Charts 5.1 Peak positions 5.2 Year-end charts 6 Certifications Album covers For the group's 1963 debut LP Please Please Me, photographer Angus McBean took the distinctive colour photograph of the group looking down over the stairwell inside EMI House (EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square, now demolished). In 1969, The Beatles asked McBean to recreate this shot. Although a photograph from the 1969 photo shoot was originally intended for the then-planned Get Back album, it was not used when that project saw eventual release in 1970 as Let It Be. Instead, another photograph from the 1969 shoot, along with an unused photograph from the 1963 photo shoot, was used for both this LP and 1962–1966. The inner gatefold photo for both LPs is by Don McCullin from the "Mad Day Out"7 photo session in London on Sunday 28 July 1968. The album cover was designed by Tom Wilkes.8 International versions Unlike the 1962–1966 collection, the Blue Album was largely the same in the US and UK, although there were some variations. The US edition had both "Penny Lane" and "Hello, Goodbye" in fake stereo, and "I Am The Walrus" with a four-beat electric piano introduction; the UK version had the more common six-beat beginning. In the Spanish edition "One After 909" substituted "The Ballad of John and Yoko", a song that was banned from the airwaves shortly after being released as a single in 1969, for its allusion to "Christ" in the lyrics. The albums had several other variants and anomalies. "Get Back" was described as the album version in the US liner notes, although it was in fact the single version. In both countries, "Hey Jude" was around nine seconds shorter than it had been on the original single, although the full length was restored for the 1993 compact disc edition. The original vinyl version faded in during the crowd noise at the beginning of "A Day In The Life". The original compact disc edition, meanwhile, featured a clean version previously heard on the Imagine: John Lennon soundtrack album in 1988.9 The album liner notes state that all songs were produced by George Martin, except "Across the Universe" and "The Long and Winding Road" produced by Phil Spector, meaning that George Martin was credited as producer of the song "Don't Let Me Down" which usually has no official producer's credit. Release variations Original 1973 release: Apple SKBO-3404 (Whole and sliced apples in blue background) Second 1976 pressing: Capitol SKBO-3404 (Capitol target label on back of album cover, blue label with "Capitol" in light blue letters at bottom) 1978 first blue vinyl release: Capitol SEBX-11843 (Capitol dome label on back of album cover, large dome logo at top of light blue labels) 1980 East German release. Amiga 8 55 742. One disc only with 14 tracks mostly from disc one of the original version. 1993 CD release. Apple 0777 7 97039 2 0 (Whole and sliced apples in blue background) 2010 remastered CD release. Apple 5099990674723 (Whole and sliced apples in blue background) Track listing The single versions of "Get Back" and "Let It Be" make their album debuts in this compilation. All tracks written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney except where noted. + = Track(s) that were released as non-album single(s) in the UK and appeared on the U.S. version of Magical Mystery Tour (1967). ^ = Track(s) that were released as non-album single(s) and later appeared on Let It Be (1970). Disc 1 Side 1 No. Title Length 1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" (+) 4:10 2. "Penny Lane" (+) 3:03 3. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967) 2:02 4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 2:44 5. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 3:28 6. "A Day in the Life" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 5:06 7. "All You Need Is Love" (+) 3:48 Side 2 No. Title Length 1. "I Am the Walrus" (from Magical Mystery Tour, 1967) 4:37 2. "Hello, Goodbye" (+) 3:31 3. "The Fool on the Hill" (from Magical Mystery Tour) 3:00 4. "Magical Mystery Tour" (from Magical Mystery Tour) 2:51 5. "Lady Madonna" (Non-album single, 1968) 2:17 6. "Hey Jude" (Non-album single, 1968) 7:08 7. "Revolution" (Non-album B-side, 1968) 3:21 Disc 2 Side 1 No. Title Length 1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." (from The Beatles, 1968) 2:45 2. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (George Harrison; from The Beatles) 4:45 3. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (from The Beatles) 3:05 4. "Get Back" (^) 3:14 5. "Don't Let Me Down" (Non-album B-side, 1969) 3:33 6. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (Non-album single, 1969) 2:59 7. "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison; Non-album B-side) 3:18 Side 2 No. Title Length 1. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison; from Abbey Road, 1969) 3:05 2. "Come Together" (from Abbey Road) 4:20 3. "Something" (Harrison; from Abbey Road) 3:03 4. "Octopus's Garden" (Richard Starkey; from Abbey Road) 2:51 5. "Let It Be" (from Let It Be, 1970) 3:52 6. "Across the Universe" (from Let It Be) 3:48 7. "The Long and Winding Road" (from Let It Be) 3:38 Charts Peak positions Original release Chart (1973) Position Australian Kent Music Report Chart10 11 Austrian Albums Chart11 1 Canadian RPM Albums Chart12 3 Dutch Mega Albums Chart13 2 French Albums Chart14 1 Italian Albums Chart15 6 Japanese Oricon LPs Chart16 2 Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart17 2 Spanish Albums Chart18 1 UK Albums Chart19 2 US Billboard 20020 1 West German Media Control Albums Chart21 2 1993 reissue Chart (1993–2008) Position Australian Albums Chart22 8 Austrian Albums Chart11 3 Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)23 46 Canadian RPM Albums Chart24 11 Dutch Albums Chart13 3 Italian Albums Chart25 18 Japanese Albums Chart26 5 New Zealand Albums Chart27 4 Norwegian Albums Chart17 8 Swedish Albums Chart28 23 Swiss Albums Chart29 3 UK Albums Chart19 4 2010 reissue Chart (2010–) Position Austrian Albums Chart11 65 Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)30 30 Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)23 56 Danish Albums Chart31 23 Dutch Mega Albums Chart13 55 German Albums Chart32 71 Japanese Albums Chart26 3 Spanish Albums Chart33 19 Swedish Albums Chart28 17 Swiss Albums Chart29 47 UK Albums Chart19 4 US Billboard 200 34 84 US Billboard Top Pop Catalog35 1 Year-end charts Chart (1973) Position Austrian Albums Chart36 3 Dutch Albums Chart37 10 French Albums Chart38 1 Italian Albums Chart15 25 Japanese Albums Chart39 6 U.S. Billboard Pop Albums40 24 Chart (1974) Position Austrian Albums Chart41 4 U.S. Billboard Pop Albums 42 70 Chart (1993) Position Canadian Albums Chart43 82 Dutch Albums Chart44 54 Italian Albums Chart 25 106 Japanese Albums Chart 45 94 Certifications In the U.S., the album sold 1,294,896 double LPs by December 31, 1973 and 3,850,026 double LPs by the end of the decade.46 Region Certification Sales/shipments Argentina (CAPIF)47 Platinum 60,000x Australia (ARIA)48 5× Platinum 350,000^ Austria (IFPI Austria)49 3× Platinum 150,000x Canada (Music Canada)50 Diamond 1,000,000^ Denmark (IFPI Denmark)51 Gold 25,000^ France (SNEP)52 2× Platinum 2,227,60053 France (SNEP)54 2010 remaster Gold 50,000* Germany (BVMI)55 3× Platinum 1,500,000^ Japan (RIAJ)5657 2× Platinum+Gold 807,00016 Norway (IFPI Norway)58 Gold 25,000* Spain (PROMUSICAE)59 2× Platinum 200,000^ Sweden (GLF)60 Platinum 100,000^ Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)61 Platinum 50,000x United Kingdom (BPI)62 2× Platinum 600,000^ United States (RIAA)63 17× Platinum 8,500,000^ *sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone Category:1973 greatest hits albums Category:Albums produced by George Martin Category:Albums produced by Phil Spector Category:The Beatles compilation albums Category:Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studio Category:English-language compilation albums Category:Apple Records compilation albums Category:Albums arranged by George Martin Category:Albums arranged by Paul McCartney Category:Albums conducted by Paul McCartney Category:Albums conducted by George Martin Category:Albums arranged by John Lennon Category:Albums recorded at Trident Studios